Dragons are coming!
HBO unveils concept art for 'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon'
Dragons are coming! HBO has revealed new concept art for House of the Dragon, the prequel for hit series Game of Thrones.
Two images of dragons were shared by WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar on Medium as a postcript to a major anouncement regarding the network's 2021 film slate.
The same images of dragons were posted by HBO on their Facebook page and Twitter account Friday (Dec. 4), along with the announcement that the series would begin production in 2021.
"Principal photography starts on the next Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragon, in a few months," the press release said. "Look out for dragons overhead!"
Dragons are coming.#HouseoftheDragon begins production in 2021. pic.twitter.com/Bxl763FVdY
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) December 3, 2020
House of the Dragon is inspired by George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood novel, which focuses on House Targaryen (a.k.a the House that gave us the Mother of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen). The story takes place 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
The story is said to lead up to and eventually chronicle the house’s civil war, known as the legendary Dance of the Dragons, which was “a massive civil war in the Seven Kingdoms held between two rival branches of House Targaryen.”
The Dance of Dragons was mentioned in Game of Thrones Season 5, when young Shireen Baratheon read a book about the Targaryen conflict and described the war to her father Stannis:
“It’s the story of the fight between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother Aegon for control over the Seven Kingdoms. Both of them thought they belonged on the Iron Throne. When people started declaring for one of them or the other, their fight divided the kingdoms in two. Brothers fought brothers, dragons fought dragons. By the time it was over, thousands were dead. And it was a disaster for the Targaryens as well. They never truly recovered.”
As reported by GeekTyrant, the script for the pilot episode is being written by Ryan Condal (Colony) while frequent Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik (who helmed GoT's epic Battle of the Bastards and The Long Night episodes) will direct the pilot and additional episodes. The first season will have a total of ten episodes.
Production on House of the Dragon is still in the early stages, with award-winning English actor Paddy Considine (HBO's The Third Day and The Outsider) cast to play King Viserys I Targaryen – the fifth Targaryen king and one of the riders of the great dragon, Balerion the Black Dread.
According to the show's official description: "Viserys was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy, but as we’ve learned from Game of Thrones, good men do not necessarily make for great kings."
DRACARYS!
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) October 5, 2020
Paddy Considine has been cast as King Viserys Targaryen in #HouseoftheDragon.
Learn more: https://t.co/yOrMnPTXmM pic.twitter.com/9SI0vM7WEu
The House of the Dragon will begin production in 2021 and is aiming for a 2022 premiere date.
(Images via WarnerMedia)